Calypso (comics)

Calypso
Calypso. Art by Todd McFarlane.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Amazing Spider-Man #209 (October 1980)
Created by	Denny O'Neil Alan Weiss
In-story information
Alter ego	Calypso Ezili
Notable aliases	The Witch Kraven Witch
Abilities	Mind control Resurrection

Calypso is a fictional villain in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209. She was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.

Fictional character biography

Calypso was a nameless voodoo priestess. She was a psychopathic woman who was associated with Sergei Kravinoff. Calypso seemed to enjoy driving Kraven into fits of rage and furthering his hatred of Spider-Man, which ultimately led to Kraven's suicide in the Kraven's Last Hunt storyline.^[1]

When artist Todd McFarlane started writing the new Spider-Man comic in 1990, he began with the Torment storyline that ran through the first five issues. McFarlane transformed Calypso into a dangerous threat for Spider-Man. The explanation for Calypso's supernatural powers was the sacrifice of her younger sister. She used her abilities to hold Curt Connors, The Lizard, in her grasp, and the two nearly succeeded in murdering Spider-Man. However, the webslinger managed to best them both, and Calypso was apparently killed.^[2]

Her voodoo prevented her from truly dying and Calypso returned again. Commanding a squad of savages, she attacked Spider-Man and Alyosha Kravinoff, the son of the original Kraven the Hunter. Desiring revenge for losing Sergei, she used her powers to drive Spidey and Aloysha into fighting each other. Spidey and Aloysha fought off her spell, and shared a handshake. Aloysha said that he would hold Calypso at his mansion, so the villainess could tell him about his long-lost father. However, Aloysha slew Calypso instead.^[3]

Powers and abilities

Calypso was well-versed in the religion and practice of voodoo. She often used voodoo drums, potions, and charms. Calypso used mind control, resurrection, and poisons.

In other media

Television

• In the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Calypso was initially introduced as a research scientist named Dr. Mariah Crawford (voiced by Susan Beaubian), who was engaged to Sergei Kravinoff before his mystic serum transformed him into Kraven the Hunter who affectionately calls her "Calypso". She assisted Spider-Man in several episodes, most notably helping him develop a cure for the Man-Spider mutation where even Professor X had expressed doubt about his ability to develop a cure. In "The Return of Kraven," Dr. Mariah Crawford (who was in Africa at the time) came down with a disease prompting Sergei to use the serum on her. After returning from Africa, the serum caused Mariah to transform into a feral woman who greatly resembled the comic version of Calypso, but also was depicted with claws, green eyes, and lion-like ears. Sergei had to take the serum again to track her down when she starts attacking people in the park at night (which at the time Spider-Man thought it was Kraven). After a struggle with Kraven, Spider-Man and Black Cat assisted Kraven into subduing Calypso and administer the cure made by Dr. Curt Connors, which was able to reverse some of the transformation's mental effects. She and Kraven eventually left to be alone.

• Calypso appears alongside Kraven the Hunter in the The Spectacular Spider-Man^[4] episode "Destructive Testing" voiced by Angela Bryant. In this series, Calypso is Kraven's lover and there is some indication she is a voodoo priestess. She presents to Kraven pictures of Spider-Man from a mysterious American friend, and encourages him to go to New York and hunt him. After Kraven's first attempt at killing Spider-Man, she suddenly appears in a robe and says, "You have need of me, love?". He states that he did not call her and declines her offer of help. After Kraven's second defeat at the hands of Spider-Man, Calypso rescues him and reveals that their friend has revealed himself - he is the Master Planner. The Master Planner then asks Kraven if he would like to "hunt in a pack", i.e. join his new Sinister Six.

Video games

• Calypso appears as a secret boss at the end of the video game Spider-Man 2.

• Calypso also appears as a villain that assists Kraven the Hunter in Spider-Man 3 voiced by Angela V. Shelton. She provided him with various potions and mutating the Lizard into an even larger, more monstrous form.

• A Noir version of Calypso appears as an exclusive villain in the Nintendo DS version of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions voiced by Jennifer Hale. Calypso uses her fragment of the Tablet of Order and Chaos to raise an army of zombies. She also hopes to use it to revive Kraven in a ritual. She is later defeated by Spider-Man Noir.

References

External links

• Calypso
• The Women of Marvel Comics Calypso Page
• Profile at Spiderfan.org